Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

So, instead of continually updating my old bread recipe that I posted in 2010, I decided it was time for a complete rehaul.  Over the years as I have gained much experience and learned the art of bread making, I have tweaked the recipe to fit our tastes and needs.

This bread is delicious!  I have been making it (or a version of it) for my family for close to 4 years, I think.  We don't eat store bought anymore, usually unless it's an artisan loaf or something.  Bread making is a wonderful investment of your time because it brings such great reward!  Sure, it takes more time in the beginning to learn the art, but once you've got it down, you can practically do it with your eyes closed.

I love being able to make bread for my family and to know that it is fresh and healthy.  Eating a hot slice barely out of the oven never gets old either. 



Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
makes 2 loaves
 
5 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour, or whole wheat bread flour
3/4 Tbsp. instant yeast
3 Tbsp.  vital wheat gluten
3/4 Tbsp. salt
½ cup potato flakes
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey
2 cups warm tap water

In a mixing bowl, fitted with a dough hook, measure in the flour, yeast, gluten, salt, and potato flakes. Pulse to evenly distribute, for a second or two. Add oil, honey and water and mix for about 30 seconds. If the dough is too dry, add more water, about a tablespoon at a time, and if it is too wet, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. The dough at this point should be wet enough to leave a little residue on the sides of the bowl. (It is better to err on the side of too wet than to dry.  A wet dough is still manageable, although messy, but a dry dough will give you a brick when cooked.) Mix for 10 minutes. Do not add any more water or flour at this point, it will not incorporate well.

When it's done mixing, the dough will look smooth and elastic. If it seems a little sticky, it will still be ok, most likely. If you have a Kitchen Aid-type bowl, remove dough hook and ball of dough. If you have a Bosch-type bowl, you’ll need a separate large mixing bowl. Spray the inside of either bowl and put the dough back in the dough to rise. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. (Time will vary greatly here, anywhere from 30 -60 minutes or so, so just watch over the dough.)

After the first rise, gently deflate the dough (spray your hands with cooking spray) and separate into 2 dough balls. For a perfect looking loaf, roll each dough ball out (on a counter coated with cooking spray not flour) the width of your loaf pan, and about 12 inches long, getting all the air bubbles out. Then, tightly roll the dough up, pinch each side closed and tuck them under a bit and lay it in a greased loaf pan. (Don't worry about the dough touching all the sides yet, as it raises, it will fill in.) Repeat with remaining dough ball. Cover bread pans with a light kitchen towel. Let dough raise again until about doubled; it should rise just above the top of the pan. Near the end of the second raise, preheat your oven to 350 F.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let loaves cool for 10 minutes, then take the bread out of the pans and completely cool on a wire rack. (Do not let the bread cool completely in the pans, it will become a sticky mess and ruin the bread.)


If you are new to bread-making, here are some tips from King Arthur Flour:
-If you're kneading bread by hand, it's tempting to keep adding flour till the dough is no longer sticky. Resist the temptation! The more flour you add while you're kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be.

-The amount of liquid you use to make the "perfect" dough will vary with the seasons. Flour is like a sponge; it absorbs water during the humid days of summer, and dries out during the winter. Your goal should be making the dough as it's described (e.g., cohesive, soft but not sticky), rather than sticking religiously to the amount of liquid.

-When making yeast bread, let the dough rise to the point the recipe says it should, e.g., "Let the dough rise till it's doubled in bulk." Rising times are only a guide; there are so many variables in yeast baking (how you kneaded the dough; what kind of yeast you used) that it's impossible to say that bread dough will ALWAYS double in bulk in a specific amount of time.

Lentil and Kale Pasta

It's so good to get back to healthy!  After spending the better part of a week in Las Vegas indulging and splurging, my body started craving warm, earthy and hearty flavors and food.  This totally fit the bill.  I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the lentils.  They are a lot more flavorful than I remember them being.  It's been a while, but like I said,  I'm trying to clean out my pantry so I really wanted to use them up. 

The kale is amazing here too, adding not only color and texture but a ton of nutrition too.  I used my own sun-dried tomatoes that I dehydrated then reconstituted but you could also use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes from the store.

Lentil and Kale Pasta
1/2 lb. whole wheat pasta (I used shells)
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, reconstitued and chopped
4 cups kale, rinsed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
12-15 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and choped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
olive oil
juice of half a lemon (about 1-2 Tbsp.)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
garnish: finely grated parmesan cheese (to your liking)

Start cooking the lentils first or even ahead of time, they will take the longest; about 15-20 minutes.  Follow package directions.  Cook, drain and set aside.

In the meantime, cover sun-dried tomatoes in about 1-inch of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and chop.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water for about 10 seconds to cool it off a bit.  Put pasta and lentils and chopped tomatoes in a large salad bowl.

Using the same pot as you cooked the pasta in, drizzle a good amount of olive oil on the bottom. Drop the kale and sprinkle with a pinch or two of red pepper flakes.  Saute 2-3 minutes, adding the garlic in the last 20 seconds or so, to avoid burning.  Add the kale to the salad bowl.  Wait for it to cool slightly before stirring it in. 

Add chopped artichokes, feta, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, basil and salt and pepper to the lentils and pasta, stirring to incorporate.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. 

Serve at room temperature, topped with finely grated parmesan cheese.

Fresh Spaghetti Sauce

I've been home canning my own spaghetti sauce for years.  I love gathering the last of the tomatoes in the fall and filling up my jars that line my pantry throughout the winter until next year.  The first sauce I used to make was from a dry mix, and although I loved it, it wasn't my husband's favorite. So, the last few summers I've been trying different recipes, searching for "the one." 

The last couple years I made this Tomato-Basil Simmer Sauce which I actually do love, but I also wanted a sauce that was more substantial, something that would stick to the noodles without running off.

 This, my friends, is "THE ONE," the very sauce I will can for the rest of my existence! Ok, well maybe not that long, but I think my search is over. This recipe uses fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes, but also uses just a little canned tomato sauce and paste which allow the sauce to thicken without cooking it to death, thus preserving that fresh tomato taste (and not keeping you in the kitchen all day).

I love the sweet bell peppers in this sauce.  I chose to use only about half green pepper and the rest red.  I find the green ones have a more bitter taste, but any other colored ones (yellow, red or orange) work perfectly. I think next time I will replace all of the green pepper with a different color.

This recipe makes roughly 12 cups, 6 pints.  If you're not a canner, you can also freeze the sauce in 2-4 cup portions in zip-loc freezer bags or freezer safe plastic ware. You could also just half the recipe for short-term use.

Fresh Spaghetti Sauce
makes about 6 pints
 
8 cups vine-ripened tomatoes (best from the garden), peeled and chopped (about 10-12 large)*
2 cups onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups sweet bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. canning salt (if you don't have canning salt, just salt to taste)
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fennel seed
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
16 oz. tomato sauce
12 oz. tomato paste

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Blanch and peel tomatoes.  Pulse in blender until desired "chunkiness" and set aside.  Drizzle a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large stock pot and add chopped onions and peppers.  Saute over medium high heat about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, garlic and the next 8 ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil.

To can sauce you must use a boiling water bath canner.  Pour hot sauce into hot jars.  Wipe mouth of each jar clean and place a lid and ring on each jar, only screwing lid to finger tightness. Process pint jars 15 minutes.

*To blanch and peel tomatoes, bring a pot of water to a boil and fill the sink with cold water.  Using a knife, serrated works best for me, score the tomato by making an "x." Place as many tomatoes in the pot as will cover the bottom in ONE layer.  Boil for 60 seconds, then ladle them out and immediately put them in the sink filled with cold water. Continue with the rest of the tomatoes.  

You will notice the skins already starting to peel off where they have been scored.  Slip off the skins, they come off easily, and core them and place them in a blender or food processor to chop or puree, whichever you prefer.

Make sure you do enough tomatoes to equal 8 cups, chopped.

Peaches and Cream Steel Cut Oats

My friend introduced me to steel cut oats this year and I am forever in her debt! I love them as well as my family. We eat a lot of oatmeal anyway, but since we don't really buy boxed cereal, it's nice to have a variety of hot cereals to eat, especially with fall and cooler temps just around the corner.

One thing I love about steel cut oats is that although it does take longer than rolled oats to cook, you can cook it once, then eat it the rest of the week. I love to portion it out into little bowls with lids and pull a couple out each time we want to eat it. It's pretty perfect for those school mornings when you don't have 25 minutes to make breakfast; you can just pull it out of the fridge, warm it up and you're good to go.

I love to flavor my oats with fresh fruit. It add delicious flavor and extra nutrition to an already healthful breakfast. In this recipe, I have pureed the fresh peaches because my kids have a thing about chunky-things-in-food, but you could easily just chop and mix them in.


Peaches and Cream Steel Cut Oats
1 cup steel cut oats
3 1/4 cups water
pinch of salt
2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2-1 cup pureed fresh peaches
1 tsp. vanilla

Toppings (optional): diced peaches and walnuts

Bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in oats. Reduce heat to about medium and cook about 25 minutes or until desired tenderness, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan. After 25 minutes, remove oats from heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Return to heat for another minute or two. Serve warm or divide into smaller portions and refrigerate for later consumption.

Recipe Rewind: Baked Oatmeal

I'm taking you back to the early days of my blog, a few years ago. Baked oatmeal was added early on, had a terrible picture and no description of the dish. Let me just tell you that we eat a lot of breakfast around here; like every morning! No, really how I meant to say that was that I like to make breakfast often, I'm not into eating cold cereal every morning. My girls devour hot cereal, like cream of wheat and oatmeal, so I figured this baked oatmeal would hit the spot just as well.

No big surprise that it has been a big hit in our house over the years. It's a little sweeter than our usual oatmeal "mush," and the cinnamon and nutmeg make it even better. My favorite is the top of the baked oatmeal that gets a little crunchy, adding a little texture.

This is a really quick and easy breakfast to throw together with ingredients you're sure to have on hand.

Baked Oatmeal
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 oil (I used coconut oil, melted)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 or 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk egg and oil. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oatmeal and whisk until well incorporated. Fold in the oatmeal with a spatula.

Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared baking dish and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm, with a splash of milk and fresh fruit, if desired.

Linked to...
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Oatmeal Cookie Granola and Winner!!!

Somehow I deleted the picture I was going to use for this post and was left with this one. That just makes me crazy. Hope this one's good enough.

I've been hoarding granola recipes lately. We've gone through just about all of our cold cereal that we had in our food storage and I'm almost ready to not buy any more (except maybe Cheerios). I've made three different granola recipes lately and my girls just devour it. I'm thinking this is much better to put on the table than cold cereal any day, especially when I know what's going into it and can control the sugar.

I got this from my friend Tori and this is the only granola recipe so far I've made twice. It's pretty easy and very tasty. I halved the sugar & honey the original recipe called for. My family and I still liked it, so I see no reason in adding any more than that, especially if you are eating it with yogurt or a little milk, which are sweet anyway. The recipe below reflects those changes I have made.

8 cups oats
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup ground flax seed (brown or golden)*
1/2 cup sucanat (you can substitute brown sugar)**
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil (you can substitute butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine oats, coconut, flax, sucanat/sugar, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Melt coconut oil/butter, honey and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix well once all is melted and pour over the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and coat well. Place on two large, greased cookie sheets and bake for 20 min or so, stirring once.

Let it cool. Add raisins or other dried fruit, if desired. Keep in an airtight container.


*There are 2 types of flax seed: brown and golden. When I was at Good Earth I asked what the difference in the two were. The employee told me that brown flax is higher in nutrition than the golden but the golden has a better taste. I also found out from another source that to access most of the nutrition of the flax that you have to eat it ground. Ground flax seed will only last about a week before going rancid, even in the fridge, so only mill as much as you will need in the short term. I tried grinding my flax seed in a small hand-held blender and it didn't do a thing to it. You will most-likely need a spice or coffee grinder to grind it up. I just threw my flax seed in whole in this recipe 'cause that's what I had.

**Sucanat is non-refined cane sugar.



....I used random.org and the winner of the apron is #7 Stephanie. Congrats! I have emailed you to let you know. Thanks to all for participating. It was really fun to see your answers. Please keep the comments coming, it gives me a feeler for what you like to see here on my blog.

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

These pancakes are right up my alley! For one, I love breakfast; two, I love pancakes and three, apples and cinnamon are a great combination. You can feel extremely good eating a short stack of these for breakfast. They are very fresh and very healthy. I like that they are not too sweet, especially if you plan on eating them with syrup. I really love using all whole wheat as well. It just feels good going down and the nuttiness of the wheat goes well with the apples and cinnamon. I make a double batch of these and then freeze the extra for a quick breakfast another time.

1 apple cored and grated
1 T lemon juice
2 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour (regular ww flour is fine too)
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 C applesauce (no sugar added)
2 eggs
2 T oil

Core apple and either in a food processor, or a hand-held grater, shred (I leave the peel on). Put the shredded apple in a bowl and add the lemon juice to it. Stir to coat, preventing oxidation.

In large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients and slowly add them to the dry ingredients, mixing until well-incorporated. Let batter rest while griddle heats up.

Pour batter, by the 1/4 cup, onto a hot griddle and cook until bubbles on top start popping. Flip and cook another minute or two longer. Remove to a plate.

Serve with your favorite preserve or syrup.

Makes about 1 dozen.

SOURCE:Adapted from Jaime Cooks it up

NOTES:In Jaime's original recipe, she used 1 1/2 cups water and 6 Tbsp. powdered milk instead of the buttermilk. That may be a good alternative for you if you want or need to use shelf-stable products from food storage. Otherwise though, I just LOVE buttermilk in my pancakes.

This recipe linked to Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen, and Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms.

Bean Curry

Wow! I was not planning on making this curry or even curry from scratch but I found this recipe from my sister. They are huge Thai and curry fans. To be honest, I chose it more because it had some of the ingredients I needed to use up in my fridge and I knew the box of Golden Curry would last in my cupboard. I started getting excited about making the curry when I realized it had dairy in it. That meant a dairy dinner two nights in a row (corn chowder from Sunday) that my husband couldn't eat and that he may have to scrounge for something from the freezer again!

Then, a light went on and I remembered my love for coconut and that it paired perfectly with curry. So, I swapped the dairy for coconut milk and let me tell you, this curry was divine. Even if you think you don't like curry, you'll like this. The flavors are mild enough for those not so inclined to spicy food (me) but still showcase a fantastic curry flavor.

I served the curry with this Thai Coconut Rice that I discovered recently and Naan, an Indian flat bread. You can buy Naan pretty readily at your local market (I found mine at Walmart), or, if you're ambitious, you can make your own. Other flat bread or pita bread would also go great with this curry.

Oh, and I just have to mention the cilantro. At first I just sprinkled a little bit on, but after I took a bite, I added a lot more. I loved the freshness the cilantro brings.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped (you could really add a whole onion, but I'm not a huge fan)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger*
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. Garam Masala
3/4-1 cup coconut milk
1 cup vegetable stock or chicken broth
2 cups white beans (I cooked from dry beans, but you can certainly substitute a can of beans.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes or until translucent and slightly browned. Add in garlic and grated ginger root, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn; about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes then the turmeric, salt, paprika, and garam masala. Stir to combine. Add coconut milk, stock, and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in some cilantro and then use a little more for garnish. Serve with jasmine or Thai Coconut Rice.

*I like to freeze my ginger if I don't use it often enough, then when it's time to use it, I can just grate it frozen over my microplane and it works great!

SOURCE:Adapted from my sister who got it from My Kitchen Cafe.

Perfect Pizza Crust

*Wow, has it already been a week since my last post? Time flies when you're packing. The big day is Saturday. Then all the unpacking, ugh! Here's another one I saved up for ya'll.


We make pizza for lunch at our house about once every other week and we LOVE it! I used to use my white bread recipe but I found this one from Annie's Eats that I now use all the time. It's easy and it's yummy and it's quick. This dough makes enough for one pizza.

Perfect Pizza Crust
Makes 1 large pizza
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup hot tap water

Place flour, yeast, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Pulse a second or two to combine dry ingredients. Add oil and hot tap water and mix for about 10 seconds. If it looks too wet, add a little more flour, if it's too dry, add a little more water. (NOTE: You want it wet enough to leave a little residue on the side of the bowl at this point but not so wet that it's gooey.) Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Dough should be a little sticky to the touch. Do not add any flour or water after the dough is done mixing.

Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap,a damp towel or a lid. Let rise until doubled in size (times will vary, so just keep an eye on it). Punch dough to deflate it.

Form dough into a ball and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven and your pizza stone to 450 degrees F. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can use the back of a cookie sheet.

Roll out dough on pizza peel that has been generously dusted with cornmeal. If you don't have a pizza peel you can use parchment paper and slip it right onto your hot stone. If you are using the back of a cookie sheet, no need to preheat it.  Add toppings of your choice. Gently slide pizza off onto the stone and bake about 7-10 minutes or until the edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots.

SOURCE:Adapted from Annie's Eats.

Thai Coconut Rice

Wow, we've been busy. I'm finally just getting time to post this tonight after making it earlier this week. I made this rice to go with the Honey Curry Chicken. I love coconut and this was really good. I loved the coconut in the rice as it cooked as well as the toasted coconut garnish that gave it another dimension of texture. I used regular coconut milk and the rice was very creamy. I liked it, but next time I may try lite coconut milk to see the difference. This is a great side dish for any curry-type or spicy dish. You could also add in fresh pineapple or mango, especially if you're doing an island theme dinner.

2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
2 Tbsp. dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oil

Garnish:
1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut
Chopped fresh cilantro

Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt and set over medium-high to high heat. (You can also add about 2 tsp. sweetener, such as sugar, at this point if you wish.) Stir until liquid comes to a gentle boil; stop stirring and reduce heat to low (just above minimum). Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer about 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.

When the liquid is gone, turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. Toast coconut by placing dry shredded coconut in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir ("dry fry") until light golden brown.

When ready to serve the rice, remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Garnish with toasted coconut and cilantro.

SOURCE:Adapted from About.com.

*Still have leftover ham? Try this Penne Pasta with Smoked Ham and Pepper Cream Sauce, it's one of our faves!

Lentil Soup

Sunday Soup

If you're looking for a quick, one pot, healthful meal, this is it. This is a really delicious soup that is filled to the brim with goodness. It is also a great recipe to have on hand when trying to use pantry items such as dried herbs, lentils and rice. I love the balsamic vinegar and bacon in this soup; they really enhance the flavor. The recipe calls for brown rice, but if you only have white rice on hand, you can substitute it; just add it in the last 20 minutes instead of at the beginning. You can also omit the rice altogether if you want a more "soupy" soup. The lentils will thicken as they cook.

This makes a lot of soup, about 12 1-cup servings. You may want to half the recipe if you are feeding fewer people and don't want to be eating on it for a whole week straight. You could also make the whole recipe and freeze half of it for an even quicker weeknight meal.

8 cups beef stock
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 (28-oz.) can tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/tsp. fennel seed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Garnish:
grated parmesan cheese

Bring broth to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add bacon and next 12 ingredients; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in parsley and next 4 ingredients. Discard bay leaves before serving. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

NOTES:This is a meatless soup but it would also be great with either browned hamburger or Italian Sausage, cooked and crumbled. If you choose to add the sausage, I would omit the fennel seed as it may be overpowering.

SOURCE:Adapted from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

Creole Style Red Beans and Rice

SUNDAY SOUP
When I went to make this the other day, I couldn't find the recipe on my blog and I realized that I have never posted it! I just couldn't believe it and even went through my archives like 3 times. Crazy. I have had this recipe for a couple of years and have made it several times. Although I'm not a real southern woman, my mom made this with one of her best friends who IS and it got her approval. This is a very tasty soup with some pretty simple (and inexpensive) ingredients. I think this would also work well in the crock pot.

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped ham
1 cup chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers (about 1 pepper)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 pound smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound smoked ham hocks
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
10 cups chicken stock, or water

4 cups cooked white rice
queso fresco, crumbled

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the oil in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and stock or water; I use about half stock and half water. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 1 1/2-2 hours. As the beans cook, skim off the foam that floats to the top. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.) Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Serve over rice and garnish with crumbled queso fresco.

SOURCE:Adapted from Emeril Lagasse, Food Network

NOTES:I like to make this over a couple of days. I take the first day to soak the beans then make the soup the next morning. If you chill the soup in the fridge until dinner time (or overnight again) then you can skim off the fat that has solidified on the top.

The first time I made this I did not use a ham hock because, to be honest, I was a little grossed out, but it was really good. The next time I made I used a ham hock and the flavor was amazing and I've used one ever since in making this dish. It does add a lot of fat though, that's why I now chill my pot of beans, so I can skim that fat right off the top.

White Chicken Chili

Sunday Soup


Talk about a bowl full of goodness, this chili is wonderful! We really love the flavors that go into it; it's almost like a posole with the jalapeno and green chilies and the cilantro garnish. I loved the warmed corn tortillas with it in place of corn tortilla chips. It changes it up a little bit and it's great to sop up the last bit of the soup in the bowl.

This chili is really easy to throw together and you can even do some of it the day before, like cook the beans and chicken. I actually cooked a big batch of beans earlier in the week and just took out the 2 cups I needed for my soup today and threw them in the freezer. All I had to do was pull them out when I was ready to cook!

The recipe only serves about 4 so you may want to double it if you have more people. Heck, you may want to double it anyway because it's that good!


1 whole Fryer Chicken, Cut Up (or 1 1/2 Cups Cooked Chicken)
olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole cans green chilies, chopped
1/2 pound dried great northern beans, rinsed (2 cups beans or about 1 can of beans)
4 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 whole jalapeno, sliced
3/4 Tbsp. ground cumin
salt, to taste (you're gonna need a lot because beans are very bland on their own, but add it a little at a time until it's too your liking.)
ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. masa (corn Flour) OR cornmeal

Garnishes:
grated monterey jack cheese (or pepper jack if you like more heat)
sour cream
chopped cilantro
freshly squeezed lime
corn tortillas, warmed (or corn tortilla chips)

Cover chicken with about 8-9 cups water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove chicken to a large platter or cookie sheet to cool. Reserve broth. (If you do this step ahead, you can put the broth in the fridge then scrape off the fat that solidifies on top.) You're only going to need about half of the broth, the rest can go in the freezer.

Once meat is cooled, remove meat from bones. Set aside. (You will have enough chicken for 2-3 meals. Just portion out what you don't need for the soup and throw it in the freezer for future meals.)

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add chopped green chilies, then rinsed beans. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Add sliced jalapenos. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place lid on pot and reduce heat to low.

Cook for 2 hours or until beans are done. (If you've already cooked your beans, or are using canned beans, cook about 10 minutes.) Halfway through the cooking process, add 1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken.

When beans are tender, mix masa (or cornmeal) with a little water and pour into the chili. Cook for a few more minutes to thicken. Check seasoning and adjust.

Serve chili in a bowl and add which ever garnishes you wish.


SOURCE:Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prarie Story.
Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking
Made From Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall To Bistro

Island Rice-A tribute to Haiti

My family loves rice, especially my husband. Although I'm not a fan of just plain rice, I really enjoy this rice dish. The pineapple lends a sweetness to the rice but is balanced out by the lime juice, cilantro and onions added at the end of cooking. This pairs perfectly with the bold flavors of the Jerk-Style Chicken.

2 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
2 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. grated lime rind
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. chopped green onions
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice and next 4 ingredients. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, onions, and juice.

Serve with Jerk-Style Chicken

6-1/2 cup servings
Calories per serving:171

SOURCE:Cooking Light

Homemade White Bread

10 1/2 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp salt
2 1/2 rounded Tbsp saf-instant yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp liquid lecithin*
4 cups hot tap water

In mixer add flour, salt, yeast and powdered milk. Pulse until just combined. Add sugar, lecithin, and water. Mix for about 20-30 seconds and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. It should look a little sticky, this will yield a lighter loaf. Mix for 3 minutes in mixer. DO NOT ADD WATER OR FLOUR TO THE DOUGH AFTER IT HAS FINISHED MIXING, it will not be able to form the gluten like the rest of the dough.

Spray counter, pans and your hands with cooking spray. Pour out dough onto sprayed counter. Separate the dough into 4 equal balls of dough. Roll each dough ball into a log the length of your bread pan. "Spank" it to get the air bubbles out and roll it again just enough to make it look smooth on the outside. Place in loaf pan and let raise. It's ok if it doesn't touch all sides of the pan when you first put it in the pan, as it raises it will fill the pan. Cover with a dish towel. Let raise 25 minutes or until dough has raised to the top of the loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Makes 4 loaves
(4x8" loaf pans).

*Do not try to measure lecithin, it is too sticky and messy. Instead, squeeze or pour approximately 3 Tbsp. (size of a quarter) of lecithin directly into the bowl. Our local Macey's grocery store carries lecithin but you can also find it at Kitchen Kneads, The Bosch Store and places like that.


NOTES: I went to a bread making class with my mom and it was the best thing I ever did to learn how to make bread.

I only make white bread when I'm making pizza, so I only make half a batch at a time. I use half the dough for the pizza and the other half I make into a loaf.

If you want to make whole wheat bread, click here

Calories per slice (1/16)=78